Electric self-playing violin



B. E. MILLS. ELECTRIC SELF PLAYING VIOLIN.-

APPLICATION men SEPT. 9. 1921.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

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Znverzr lierzzlez B. E. MILLS. ELECTRIC SELF PLAYING VIOLIN.

APPLICATION FILED SE-PT, 9y I92I. 1,425,533. I Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

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B. E. MILLS. ELECTRIC SELF PLAYING VIOLIN. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9,I921.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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IIIIII/IIII/III UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IBERTIE E. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 MILLS NOVELTYCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SELF-PLAYING- VIOLIN.

Specification of Letterslatent. Patented Aug. 15, 19 22.

Application filed September 9, 1921. Serial No. 499,475.

T 0 aZZwhorm it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTIE E. MILLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jackson Boulevard and Green Street, Chicago, in. the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new Improvement inElectric Self-Playing Violins, of which the following is aspecification. a a

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of self-playingviolins exemplified in United States Letters Patents Nos. 1,085,943 and1,094,819 toHenry K. Sandell.

In theviolins of the patents referred to, the strings are fingered byelectrically operated fingering devices and are played by sounders, onefor each string and comprising a plurality of nested cups, preferably ofthin sheet-celluloid, on a constantly rotating motor-driven shaftnormally in raised position wherein the sounder or how is held out ofcontact with the respective string until the latter is to be sounded,when an electromagnet, energized for the purpose, depresses the shaft tocause the sounder to attack the string.

In playing the violin, when any fingering-device leaves a string and thesounder which has acted against the same is raised to discontinueplaying upon it,ythere is a tendency of the sounder to lag, whereby itcontinues momentarily to sound the open stringwith the result ofinjecting a false tone into the music and marring the effect, howeverslightly.

It is the primary object of my improve-.

ment to prevent that result, and this I accomplish by the meanshereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying draw.- ings,in which- I 1 Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of v the self-playingviolin substantially as shown in the corresponding figure in theaforesaid Patent No. 1,094,819, but equipped with my improvement; Figure2 is an enlarged sectionon line 2-2, Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a brokensectional view showing one of the solenoid-raised dampers to which myinventionrelates; Figure 4 is "a section on line 44, Fig. 1corresponding to Fig. 8 in the aforesaid Figure '5 is a diagramillustrating the manner of controlling the electrical operation of thefingering devices and that of the and useful the bracket; and Imetrically reduced stem-section 10 threaded the same string, only one ofmy tatory Patent No. 1,085,943, and

dampers, of my invention from a keyboard, instead of from a travellingpen forated musicrsheet as the fingering-devices in the aforesaidpatents are stated to be operated, though my present improvement andthe'fingering-devices may be operated in the last-named manner.

On the shield A (Fig, 2) protecting the levermechanism of thefingeringdevices is secured an angular bracket 7 extending across thestrings 29 above but slightly in rear of the nut on the neck of theviolin 6 where the strings cross to the tuning keys. Depending from thebracket are similar damper-devices each designated as a whole by thereference-numeral 8/ This device is a solenoid-magnet comprising awire-wound tubular shell 9 of insulating material flanged at itsopposite ends and having a threaded neck 9 to screw through a core 10having a diaon its upper end where it passes. centrally through the neck9 and is fastened by a nut 11 bearing against a washer 11 to cooperatewith the upper shell fiange to stably secure the shell 9 in place. Eachcore ter minutes at its lower end in a damper-forming head 12,preferably of soft rubber, between which and the lower shell-flange isconfined a helical spring 18 surrounding the solenoid-core and tendingto normally press the damper resiliently against the re- 1 spectivestring 29.

Referring more particularly to the diagrammatic showing in Fig. 5:

Of the series of electromagnets 14 employed for operating thefingering-levers 25 for a violinestring, a few are represented; and theviewrepresents, for acting against damperdevices and also only onesounder on aroshaft 17 operated by a lever 27 worked by an electromagnet44. The solenoids, of the four damper-devices and the electromagnets 14are each included in a separate electric circuit, as represented of thedevice 8 and one electromagnet l4 and one elctromagnet 44 in thediagram, so that it is only required herein to describe the completecircuits shown in that figure:

The line-wire w leads to the electromagnet 44, thence to one side ofeach electromagnet 14, thence to the solenoid of the damper-device 8 forthe violin-string along Which the electromagnets le extend, and fromthat damper-device to a spring-con tact device 15 in the line, thespring-arms of which are separated by interposed. insulation 16 andmaintain the circuit normally open to be closed by inserting between thesaid arms to connect them electrically a metal contact-finger 17 on theend of a finger-operated key 18 fulcruined at 19 and which may be onekey of a key-board. resembling that of a piano or organ; and from thecontact-device the wire m leads to the return line-wire w. The oppositeside of the electromagnet l4: nearest the damper-device 8 is connectedby a wire it with a spring-contact device 15, like the device 15, andfrom which a wire on leads to the return line-wire, this circuit beingclosed by a contact-finger 17 on the end of a key 18 fulcrumed at 19,all as described of the circuit controlling the damperdevice.

By depressing a key 18 to close the circuit at 15 the respectiveelectromagnet 44 is energized to depress the shaft 17 and cause thesounder thereon to attack the violin-string and energize theclectromagnet 14L included in the closed circuit to apply thefingering-device controlled by that electromagnet to the string. \Vhcn alingeringdevice is withdrawn from engagement with a string of the violinby opening the circuit upon releasing the respective key 18 :t'romdepression to disconnect the finger 17 from the contact-device 15,momentary lag occurs in the raising of the respective sounder shaft 17to withdraw the sounder thereon from the string being played by it, withthe result of momentary continuance of the playing on the then openstring and consequent marring of the music. which though very slight,since the lag of the sounder is of only of instantaneous duration,nevertheless produces an objectionable effect. "hm is minimized to anextent which renders it unnoticeable to the human ear, by the damperhead 12 normally bearing against that string, which operates to soobstruct vibration of the string being played by the lagglng sounder asto nniiiie the resultant tone sufficiently to render it inaudible.

When an open string of the violin is to be played upon depression of theproper key 18, the operator depresses the key18 to close the circuitcontaining the damper-device 8 for that string, thereby exciting thesole noid of that device to raise its core 18 and lift the damper-head12 from the string I realize that considerable variation is possible inthe details of the construction of my improvement herein shown, and I donot intend to limitmy invention thereto except as pointed out in theappended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all the noveltyinherent in my invention as broadly as permissible by the state of theart.

I claim:

1. In an automatically-played stringed instrument in which a string isfingered by fingering-devices and played by a sounder. the combinationwith the string 01 a damper-device normally bearing against it in advance of the fingering-devices, and means for withdrawing the damperfrom engagement with the string for playing of the sounder thereon as anopen string.

2. In an automatically'playcd stringed instrument, in which a string isfingered by fingering-devices and played by a sounder, the combinationwith the string of a damperdevice comprising a reciprocating stem provided with a head or" soft material and supported to bear the headnormally against the string in advance of the fingering-(ls vices, andmeans for actuating the stem to withdraw the head from engagement withthe string for playing of the sounder there on as an open string.

3. In an electrically-played stringed instrument, in which a string isfingered. by a fingering-device and played by a sounder included withthe fingering-device in series in an electric circuit, means for openingand closing said circuit, and a damper-device comprising asolenoid-magnet in an electric circuit and. having a spring-pressed coreterminating in a damper-head, said, magnet being supported in advance ofthe fingering device there to bear the damper-head normally against thestring. and means for closing the last-named circuit to excite saidmagnet to withdraw the damper-head from engagement with the string forplaying of the sounder thereon as an open string.

4. In an electricallyplayed instrument of the viol class, in which astring is fingered by a fingering-device and played by a rotatingsounder included with the lingeringdevice in series in a normally-openelectric circuit a key carrying a contact-member for closing the circuitby manipulating the key, a damper-device comprising a solenoidmagnet ina normally-open electric circuit and having a spring-pressed coreterminating in a damper-head, said magnet being supported in advance ofthe fingering-de vice there to bear the damper-head normally against thestring, and a key carrying a contact-member for closing the last namedcircuit by manipulating the key to excite said magnet to withdraw thedamperhead from engagement with the string for playing of the sounderthereon as an open BERTIE E. MILLS.

string.

